Western Carolina University

Student body

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

10,024

Graduate enrollment

1,574

Student–faculty ratio

16 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

35%

First-generation students

33%

Students over 25

20%

Median family income

$46,182

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$81,621

Endowment

$138,110,912

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate

81.8%

Test scores

Considered but not required

SAT range (25th–75th %)

1080–1270

SAT average

1157

SAT reading

560–660

SAT math

520–610

ACT composite

19–25

Average GPA (estimated)

3.32

Cost

In-state tuition

$4,630

Out-of-state tuition

$8,630

Room & board

$12,354

Books & supplies

$800

Total cost of attendance

$19,992

Average net price

$13,315

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)

60%

Graduated on time (4 years)

44%

First-year retention

79%

Transferred to another college

27%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$43,085

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$49,458

Median debt at graduation

$21,868

Students with federal loans

44%

Paying down their loans (1 year in)

53%

About 16% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing

Yes

Dorm capacity

4,760

Dorm capacity vs undergrads

47%

Housing charge (year)

$6,521

Meal plan (year)

$5,243

Application fee

$65

Athletics

NCAA Division I-FCS

Football conference

Southern Conference

Varsity athletes

491 (298 men · 193 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (9)

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade

C

Reported offenses per 1,000 students

3.7 / year

Violent offenses (2022–2024)

88

Property offenses (2022–2024)

41

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (11,686 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

$12,605/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.